This is the 2020 'manual installation' Release!
Email: davidwhitenz@hotmail.com
Mod Download Link: https://www.moddb.com/mods/whiteboys-rules-v15-2020
Mod Download Link (mirror): https://mega.nz/#!rc0DXYoC!2smUh1z8IP0FXOzE1UKPWRoUHD4ej4GuG2-3x1Gn2R4
Mod Download Link (without Optional Components): https://mega.nz/#!HdkzSCoI!-ebiFGT49esozhuhzamJMlJDWwPiWkzjziio3mJId_I
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidwhiteboy
Mod website (note it's very old): https://www.angelfire.com/ultra/whiteboysrules
- note the website itself does not host this modern 2020 'manual installation'
release, it just links to it.
WHITEBOY'S RULES V1.5
An unofficial modification (mod) for Command & Conquer
Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge by David 'Whiteboy' White.
Original release V1.0 on 4th of June 2003 and V1.5 (final) on 26th May 2008. That V1.5 release was a standalone executable launcher and the mod content is identical in this release. The difference is that although the launcher version CAN work with the Origin official game, is not recommended for casual users as it cannot launch the game without a 3rd party Origin Launcher patch (despite still copying mod files), and it has has outdated documentation. The launcher version may also conflict with CnCNet.
That is why I made this 2020 release which involves a more reliable, future-proofed, 'manual' installation, for the mod plus its optional components (see section
3 below). Don't worry, installation is easy! Note that this mod is a simple
collection of files and does not require Ares/the Rock Patch to work.
NOTE: A lot of this guide focuses of just getting C&C Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge installed and running on modern Windows, and installing the CnCNet Client to patch the game + enable Online/LAN/a CnCNet-specific Skirmish mode. If you have already got that far, you can skip everything and go to step 3 below, 'APPLYING WHITEBOY'S RULES MOD'.
NOTE: If you don't want to install CnCNet for Online/LAN
play you do not have to. Whiteboy's Rules can work without it for single player
modes and the installation method is the same. The advantage is that even if
you don't use the CnCNet Client to play the game, just installing CnCNet also
patches many of the common issues that you'd otherwise have to solve yourself
in getting the game to run on modern systems.
- For more info on the content of the mod itself, please see the separate file titled 'About Whiteboy's Rules.pdf'.
- For more info on the new units the mod adds, please see the separate text file titled 'WR Unit Descriptions.txt'.
- For a bit of history, check out the 'Old Unfinished Manual' folder in the mod download and see the manual in there. It was made for the 1.0 version and had begun being updated for V1.5 but was never finished and so all the units and structures and thumbnail pictures are vastly outdated. Still, it may be an interesting read and it has details on structures whereas the 'WR Unit Descriptions' document doesn't!
INTRO
This guide will show you how to install C&C Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge for modern Windows 10 if you haven't already, and play in Campaign/Skirmish as well as Online/LAN modes. It will then explain how to apply the Whiteboy's Rules V1.5 mod for Yuri' Revenge by copying files and also how to uninstall. Note that if you downloaded the older .exe release of the mod it should not be used - the mod itself is identical but the installer/launcher can have problems with modern releases of the game (e.g. Origin).
This guide will also work with an unofficial copy of the game to play Online/LAN/Skirmish (i.e. not a properly installed & registered in the Windows Registry), but that version will not have working Campaigns without further work and is not recommended. If you spend the money to buy the Origin version from EA (or earlier official releases) and install it that way, then Campaign mode (with cutscenes) should also work (with or without the mod).
Either way, after following steps 1 and 2 below you will end
up with TWO shortcuts to play RA2: Yuri's Revenge whether you have the mod
installed or not. One shortcut to start the CnC Net Client for Online/LAN/CnC
Net's unique Skirmish mode, and one shortcut to launch the game traditionally
which will allow you to play Campaign mode and experience the traditional
Skirmish mode.
Note about Whiteboy's Rules mod differences in the 2 ways to launch the game: When playing via the CnCNet Client some mod features will be missing - the wide variety of 40+ new game modes it adds, the new menu skin, and new maps (including 50 Assault maps if you install that optional mod component). These features are still present when you launch the game via the default shortcut (the Origin launcher i.e. 'RA2Launcher.exe' or 'RA2MD.exe') and you can add 3 of the new maps to the CnCNet Client modes by installing them as optional components (see step 3. a)).
The 3 major steps here are:
1. Install main game,
2. Install CnCNet Client for Online/LAN play (which has the bonus effect of patching the game for modern Windows systems),
3. Install mod with optional extra components.
1. INSTALLATION - VANILLA RA2:YR GAME (Unmodded)
Download/buy C&C Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge from Origin (or another official source, but only Origin was tested). Install the game wherever you like. OR if you don't want to buy it and you don't need the single player Campaign mode then obtain a copy of the game files (without an installation) - perhaps from the original release of the game or somewhere on the internet, that is up to you.
At this point, you can try playing the game now (via the
Origin launcher or RA2MD.exe), but Online/LAN will not work and the game will
be glitchy without official and 3rd party patches and may not even load at all
without a 3rd party launcher and/or other patches, e.g. you may get a 'String
error'). We're going to patch these errors in step 2 so it's playable and in
high resolution.
IMPORTANT for the Origin version: before you move on to the
next step or install any mods, after the game installation is complete,
right-click on the game’s cover in your Origin library, click 'Game Properties'
and disable Origin In-Game/cloud saves. This will prevent Origin from
overwriting any manual edits to the game that CnCNet/mods may rely on. EA never
updates it anyway and you can manually back up game saves from the game's root
folder so it is not an issue.
NOTE: another helpful guide for installing RA2:YR on modern Windows using multiple methods (including the original CD release and the Origin release as part of The Ultimate Collection pack) can be found here: https://cncnz.com/features/technical-support-help-guides/installing-command-conquer-red-alert-2/
Installing the original CD release of the game generally does not work at all on Windows 10 so follow that guide instead and update to the final official patch 1.006 if needed. The method involves using the Red Alert 2/YR multiplayer-only release by XWIS (which was created under EA’s permission) from https://xwis.net/forums/index.php?/topic/177134-downloads/ and copying disc files to your game folder. From your Allied disc, copy multi.mix, theme.mix, maps01.mix, and movies01.mix. From your Soviet disc, copy maps02.mix and movies02.mix. Finally, from your Yuri's Revenge disc copy mapsmd01.mix, movmd03.mix, thememd.mix, and multimd.mix. The game should work now but if not, see the tips within section 2 below, called 'Further help getting the game to run'.
2. INSTALLATION OF CNCNET CLIENT FOR ONLINE/LAN PLAY + PATCHING MAIN GAME
Download the 'CnCNet5_YR_Installer.exe' file from https://cncnet.org/yuris-revenge to install the CnCNet Client. It will detect where your official installation is; otherwise if not official, point it to where you installed the game. The Client has the added bonus that it patches the game to run nicely on modern systems. The Client will install its own desktop shortcut.
At this point, you can start the CnCNet Client for Online/LAN play or Skirmish (Skirmish still works without the Client though but it's got different maps and game modes). You should go to the Options in the Client and change the game resolution to 1920x1080 and also disable automatic updates if you want mods to stay functional. If you also want mods to stay functional, make sure you do NOT enable the 'Brutal AI', 'Red Alert 2 Mode' or 'Balance Patch' from the game options when starting a game.
Campaign mode is not an option when using the CnCNet Client. You can still play Campaign if your game installation is official - just use the Origin launcher or 'RA2MD.exe' - and now that the game has been patched, it will actually work and gameplay (not menus) will be in the resolution you chose in the CnCNet Client. Playing Campaigns may also be possible in an unofficial installation but that may need registry editing to bypass the DRM which this guide will not go into.
Further help getting the game to run
If you have further trouble playing the game for Campaign mode/original Skirmish, even after the fixes the CnCNet Client applies, try and set game.exe/gamemd.exe and Ra2.exe/RA2MD.exe to always run as administrator and in compatibility mode for Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows 7. You can also try adjusting the renderer in the CnCNet Client options. Custom resolutions can be set if needed, in the RA2.ini/RA2md.ini file by simply changing the ScreenWidth and ScreenHeight values under the [Video] section (this may require a first launch if they are not present). Note that as at the time of writing, even with all these techniques applied, many people still have an unresolveable issue where you cannot alt+tab out of the (non-CnCNet) game - because alt+tabbing back in makes the screen go black. So avoid doing this or save your game first.
3. APPLYING WHITEBOY'S RULES MOD
At this point, you should have a fully working Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge installation, and CnCNet Client installed if you want to play the mod Online/LAN/the CnCNet Skirmish modes.
You may now apply the Whiteboy's Rules V1.5 mod, which will
work with all Yuri's Revenge game modes (including Campaign via starting the Origin
launcher/starting 'RA2MD.exe').
1. First, download the mod .zip file (the new 2020 'manual installation' release, not the earlier compiled .exe release).
2. Find your game folder, and make a BACKUP copy of the 'spawner.xdp' file that CnCNet installs if you have it - you may wish to rename it to 'spawner.bac' as to not confuse the game or just MOVE it to another folder. (This is essentially the 'rulesmd.ini' file for CnCNet).
3. Then, just copy all 458 mod files from 'Mod Files (Copy to Game Root Folder)' into the root game folder. Make sure it overwrites 'spawner.xdp'. That's it! The mod has no separate launcher shortcut.
Optional mod/game components (If you downloaded them with the mod)
You will find these in the 'Optional Components' folder if
you have it. Here are descriptions and how to install them:
a) You can add the 3 custom maps the mod comes with. Just
copy the 3 files in the 'Maps' folder to the game's root/Maps/Custom folder. To
play these maps in the CnCNet Client, select the 'Standard' game mode. If you
launch the game via the Origin launcher/official method then these maps will be
visible in almost all Skirmish modes. Note that 'Da River 2.1' needs the
Terrain Expansion (below) to appear correctly and that only works if playing
via the Origin/official (non CncNet Client) method.
b) You can add the Assault Map Packs and game modes (credit
to Mir4dor, CaptnMel, EJAH, and CannisRabidus). To install this component, just
copy all the files in the 'Assault Map Packs' folder to the root game folder.
This is a set of 50 maps that exclusively work with mods that support it. The
maps work with a set of game modes called Assault (plus Infiltration modes in
Whiteboy's Rules) which is similar to Capture the Flag in the CnCNet Client.
Due to the nature of the CnCNet Client, these maps and this mode are not
playable using it, but they will work in Skirmish if you start the game via the
Origin launcher/official 'RA2MD.exe'.
c) Another option is to install the TX/Terrain Expansion (by
Blade, DJBREIT, and MooMan65). To install this component, just copy all the
files in the 'Terrain Expansion' folder to the root game folder. This fixes
many terrain/map issues in RA2:YR and will also allow for enhanced 3rd party
maps that take advantage of it (including 'Da River 2.1' in Whiteboy's Rules').
Without this, those enhanced maps may not work correctly. Note that the TX has
absolutely no effect on the CnCNet Client version - only when you play via the
Origin/official method.
d) Also optional is changing the look of the Ore in the game
to Tiberium. To do this just copy the 210 files in the 'Ore to Tiberium' folder
to the root game folder.
e) Another option is to remove the blood the mod adds by
default. To do this, once you have copied the mod files, remove the 6 files
called 'death_a.shp' to 'death_f.shp' from the game folder.
f) Finally, an extra option is to add the original Red Alert
2 music tracks to the game. To do this you must posses the 'theme.mix' file
which is found on the original release CDs of Red Alert 2 (or elsewhere on the
internet). Whiteboy's Rules mod is able to read this file if you place it in
your game root folder and rename it to 'expandmd96.mix'. The tracks will appear
in the game alongside the Yuri's Revenge tracks. This will only work when
playing via the Origin/official method, as the CnCNet Client ignores the file.
Removal:
To remove any of the optional components, simply delete the files you copied (or restore them in the case of the blood removal option). However, having all these components installed should not interfere with the CnCNet Client version of the game (it may flag you as a 'cheater' in Online/LAN though via a system message).
PLAYING THE GAME (modded or not)
There are 2 shortcuts/ways to start the game depending on what mode you want to play in (Online/LAN/Campaign/2 different Skirmish modes).
1. To play the game (modded or not) in ONLINE/LAN or with a unique CnCNet SKIRMISH mode with many modes and extra maps, just use the desktop shortcut the CnCNet Client installed to launch it.
MAKE SURE you disable checking for updates in the client Options - this can break the mod. Also remember to set the resolution in the Client.
Alternatively, you can disable auto-updates and the 'cheater warning' message you get when playing custom maps/mods by going to the game's root folder, then Resources\ClientDefinitions.ini and add ModMode=true under [Settings].
When creating a game in the Client, DO NOT enable the
'Brutal AI', 'Red Alert 2 Mode' or 'Yuri Balance Patch' from the game options.
Otherwise, mods can conflict and cause issues.
2. To play CAMPAIGN mode (modded or not) and the original SKIRMISH mode (with many extra game modes that Whiteboy's Rules adds including Assault mode and maps), use the Origin game launcher (RA2Launcher.exe) or the officially installed 'RA2MD.exe' file.
Note that if the game won't launch this way try installing the 3rd party launcher called 'C&C Ultimate Collection Launchers Setup.exe'. Also note that the menus will be lower resolution but gameplay won't be - you never need to change the game options in the main game here - it's all controlled via the options in the CnCNet Client instead. Whiteboy's Rules will not work with the original Red Alert 2 (non-Yuri's Revenge) Campaigns.
For more help getting the game to run, refer to the section called 'Further help getting the game to run' within step 2 of this guide.
UNINSTALLATION (Disabling the mod)
To uninstall the mod (or any optional components), just remove all the files you copied. The easiest way to do that is to re-copy them to the folder you copied them to before from the zip file (which will cause them to be highlighted in your folder), then press the delete key.
Note that keeping the optional component files installed should not actually interfere with the main game or the CnCNet Client version in any way (other than aesthetically for the Tiberium or blood options) so you can safely leave those installed even when you want to disable Whiteboy's Rules.
NOTES
When playing the mod in the CnCNet client version for Online/LAN or Skirmish, these mod features are missing: Assault/Infiltration modes AND all other new custom game modes Whiteboy's Rules adds, and Terrain Expansion compatible features seen in maps like 'Da River' in Whiteboy's Rules. Instead, in the CnCNet version the game 'mode' will be in the default mod mode which means Cross-Tech is enabled and Powers Divided is off. You will still see text that pertains to Power Divided mode during the loading screen but just disregard it. Some of the new game modes in the CnCNet Client may conflict with the mod; only basic Battle/Free For All/Standard modes were tested.
THANK YOU!!!
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© David 'Whiteboy' White 2002 – 2020
Email: davidwhitenz@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidwhiteboy
Mod website (note it's very old): https://www.angelfire.com/ultra/whiteboysrules/
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